The invention relates to a system for enabling self-monitoring, with regard to body movement sequences to be carried out, by the moving person.
Practicing specific movements or movement sequences plays an important part for example in the context of rehabilitation. In this case, the subject or patient practises specific movement sequences in order to train his/her overall body mobility or, alternatively, in order, for example, to influence specific body parts or muscle groups in a targeted manner. However, the targeted practicing of specific movement sequences is also an important therapeutic element for physically disabled persons. When practicing these movement sequences or when carrying out the training exercises, it is often crucial that the movements be performed “correctly”, that is to say that a predetermined movement sequence be adhered to in the best possible manner. It would be desirable here to identify deviations, to the extent possible, in the course of the movement, in order to be able to immediately correct them and thereby avoiding the situation where an exercise is repeatedly carried out “incorrectly” which cannot lead to the therapeutic success sought. On the contrary, in this case there is even the risk that, on account of the “incorrect” movement sequence, there will be no improvement at all, or even a deterioration.
Self-perception of a subject's own movements is often insufficient for adequate monitoring. One reason for this is that self-perception can be disturbed, for example on account of specific disturbances to the subject's health. It is, furthermore, often not possible for one to visually observe his or her movements which may require a rear view or side view. Finally, when carrying out a complex, dynamic procedure, self-perception may be overtaxed. In other words, the patient cannot simultaneously concentrate both on correctly carrying out the complex movement sequence and on detecting any movement errors. In order to remedy this, it would be possible to enlist an external observer, such as a trainer or therapist. However, this involves effort and is very expensive. Furthermore, it is possible to utilize mirrors and the like for continuous self-observation. The disadvantage in this case is that, in spite of everything, the actual ideal body position or the ideal movement sequence cannot be identified. In other words, adequate monitoring cannot be achieved by this means either. Finally, there also remains the possibility of capturing the movement sequence by means of a video recording and subsequent observation and analysis. However, real time self-monitoring during movement is not possible in this case either.
EP 0 700 694 A1 discloses a training and diagnosis method in which the person who is training has to carry out a movement using a training device. A measurement recording is made and used to detect movement. The recording is displayed in the form of a curve representing the movement course. The recording is displayed on a monitor. With respect to the curve, it is possible to insert a predetermined curve to be reconstructed by the person who is training.
WO 98/28053 describes a device for carrying out interactive movement training in which optimum movement sequences are stored in a memory. While the exercises are being carried out, a video camera captures an image of the person who is training. The image is superposed on the stored video sequences. The person who is exercising simultaneously sees himself and the optimum movement sequence on a monitor and can compensate for any deviations. What is disadvantageous here, however, is that the person who is training has to adapt the speed at which he performs an exercise to the speed at which the video sequence is reproduced. The reproduction speed is, however, adjustable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,750 describes an apparatus in which the position of a golf player is recorded by a video camera. A video recording of an optimum movement sequence is simultaneously displayed on a monitor. There is, however, no interactivity between the recorded movement and the real movement.
A system for the insertion of an optimum trajectory, in a game of basketball, by a laser beam, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,427. However, the targeted training and monitoring of individual movement sequences is not possible in this way.